


A New Chapter

by SilverMoonSky



Series: ML Oneshots [6]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Emotional Hurt, F/M, Identity Reveal, New Beginnings, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22855342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonSky/pseuds/SilverMoonSky
Summary: Marinette has been dating Luka for the past year, but when she finds out Adrien is Chat Noir, she realizes that there's something she must do.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: ML Oneshots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643566
Comments: 23
Kudos: 133





	A New Chapter

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song "Hard" by Why Don't We. I feel like it's a song that really suits Lukanette :)

“You deserve better.”

Luka couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What? Mari, what’re you talking about? You’re amazing. I couldn’t imagine anyone else I’d want to date.”

Marinette glanced at him once before lowering her eyes as if in shame.

“You don’t know everything about me.”

Those words stopped him cold. Marinette wasn’t. . . . she wasn’t cheating on him, was she? No, Luka knew she wasn’t the type of girl who’d do that. But then why would she bring this up so suddenly?

In the year since he and Marinette had started dating, never once had she said anything that made him feel anything but love and admiration. He loved this girl. He loved her so much. Yet, what was that sudden statement about?

“What do you mean?” Luka asked cautiously, unsure whether or not to tread into this territory. He and Marinette had never fought. And he definitely didn’t want to start now.

“I mean exactly what I said, Luka,” she said quietly. “You  _ know _ me, yes, but not all of me.”

He attempted to hide the hurt that he was sure was shining in his gaze. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You deserve better than someone who has to lie all the time to keep the truth from you,” she whispered.

“. . . .Marinette?”

“I’m sorry, Luka, I really am. I just--” she broke off into a sob.

He froze. No matter how much he wanted to question her, ask her  _ what the hell _ all of this was about, for now all he could focus on was comforting her.

He put his guitar to the side and wrapped his arms around her, letting her sob against his chest. He rested his cheek against her ruffled hair, closing his eyes. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. It was supposed to be another wonderful day with his girlfriend, the two of them sitting on his bed, grinning as he watched her smile and hum as he played the guitar. It was something they did together often after they started dating; Marinette always said she loved when he played guitar.

What had happened? What had changed? Luka didn’t want to lose this--he didn’t want to lose  _ her. _ From the words she was saying, it sounded like she was about to break up with him. And he didn’t want that. God,  _ anything  _ but that.

“Mari, what’s wrong?” He asked, rubbing his hands comfortingly on her back. “What happened?”

Marinette seemed to snap out of whatever daze she’d been in after that. She sat up straighter, pushing herself away from his chest. Luka brought his hands back to his sides. She merely stared at him, as if she was studying him for the first time.

“Luka, you’re a wonderful boyfriend and everything, but. . . .” his girlfriend trailed off. She gazed at the window, the door, the wall, seemingly anywhere but him.

It hurt. It hurt  _ hard. _

He tried desperately to ignore the hurt that was building up inside him; he couldn’t allow it to show--not yet, anyway.

“There’s someone else, isn’t there?” He asked simply. Marinette flinched. He immediately confirmed his suspicions right.

He swallowed nervously. “Are. . . . are you cheating on me?”

“What?! No! Luka, no, no, I’m not--I would never--I’m not cheating on you!” She stammered, though he could tell by the earnestness in her bluebell eyes that she wasn’t lying.

He began to let out a relieved sigh, only to stop as he realized she still hadn’t answered his question.

“But I was right about one thing, right? That there’s someone else?”

Luka hated how Marinette looked so  _ guilty, _ so  _ afraid, _ that it made him want to wrap his arms around her and keep her against him forever.

Yet he couldn’t do that. Not until he got answers.

“Yes,” she finally breathed out. “There’s someone else.”

There were so many things he wanted to do, so many things he wanted to say--

“Do I--do I know him?” He asked shakily. It was taking all his effort to force himself not to lash out in hurt. Because he was almost one hundred percent sure he knew who Marinette was talking about. Of course it was him. It had to be. Luka had always wondered what had happened that made Marinette forget about pursuing Adrien and instead giving him a chance.

But from the looks of it, it seemed like she’d never forgotten Adrien at all.

“No--I mean, yes, I guess, but not really at the same time--”

“Is it Adrien?”

And just like that, with those three simple words, Luka knew he had lost her. Marinette’s entire face changed, her eyes glowing, her frown turned into a small, radiant smile. Then, almost immediately, her expression crumpled, as if she just remembered who she was with.

Marinette watched him with awkwardness in her gaze. The silence between them was antagonizing. Luka felt himself getting smaller and smaller, wanting to cry out and sob. . . .

“What does he have that I don’t?” He whispered, feeling helpless. She was gone. She wasn’t his anymore.

His heart was shattering into pieces.

“No, it’s not like that!” Marinette said frantically, staring at her crestfallen boyfriend--or ex-boyfriend, whatever they were at the moment. “No, no, it’s not that, it’s just--” Marinette took a deep breath. “It’ll be easier if I show you. Tikki, spots on.”

There was a flash of pink, and, less than a second later, in Marinette’s place sat Ladybug, one half of Paris’ favorite superhero duo.

Luka gaped at her. Ladybug smiled sheepishly at him as Luka’s brain processed this.  _ Marinette  _ was Ladybug. Sweet, kind, selfless, brave Marinette was Ladybug. It made sense, he knew deep inside him. Marinette was amazing. Of course she was Ladybug.

But why had she chose to tell him now? Why now, when she was breaking up with him? Adrien, she loved Adrien. She loved the blond haired, green eyed model. But then what about Chat Noir? Weren’t he and Ladybug partners? Chat Noir loved Ladybug; it was obvious from the way he looked at her, from the way his gaze always lit up when she was around. Luka wasn’t blind. And recently, it seemed like Ladybug had started to reciprocate his feelings. . . .

But if Marinette-- _ Ladybug _ \--loved Adrien, that meant--

“You’re Ladybug, and you love Adrien, who is Chat Noir,” Luka said, far calmer than he had anticipated. His brain was currently screaming at him for not figuring it out earlier.

“I’m sorry I never told you,” Ladybug said, dropping her transformation and becoming Marinette once more. “It’s just that I didn’t want to put you or anyone you love in danger, and, you know, the whole ‘secret identity’ thing prevented me from saying anything anyway.”

“But why are you telling me this now?” Luka asked. “I mean, you’re breaking up with me, you didn’t have to tell me. . . .”

Marinette reached up to cup his cheek with one hand. The gesture made his breath hitch in his throat. “Luka, you mean so much to me. I couldn’t just leave you without a good reason. I trust you.”

“It was only recently that I figured out Chat was Adrien,” she continued, “and. . . . it kind of threw things off. But even if I haven’t entirely sorted out what I feel for him, I knew I couldn’t keep leading you on. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

Luka nodded, feeling the hurt inside him ease just a little at her explanation. “I understand, Mari. Your happiness means everything to me.”

Marinette smiled. “I knew you’d understand,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. You’re amazing, and I love spending time with you. But I can’t. . . . I can’t continue our relationship in this way anymore.” She gestured at the two of them. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d still like to be friends, don’t think I’m cutting you off entirely, but--”

“Marinette.” Luka interrupted her rambling. “I get it. It will hurt for a while, and it will take a while to get used to this, but I understand. I’d be honored to stay as your friend.”

Marinette’s eyes shone with relief. She leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The two of them stayed like that for a while, basking in each other’s presence for what seemed like hours, before Marinette finally stood. “I’d better get going,” she said.

Luka agreed, and the two of them walked out of the room and upstairs onto the deck of the ship. Marinette gave him a sad smile. “See you around?”

“Yeah.”

“Goodbye, Luka,” Marinette said, before turning away.

“Mari?” He asked. She turned around.

“Hm?”

“Good luck with Adrien.”

She grinned. “Thanks,” she said, and with that, the love of his life walked away from him, ready to pursue the next chapter of her life with open arms.

Luka wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to move on. He wasn’t sure how long he would continue to read and reread the chapter of his life that he had wished would never end.

There would always be a part of him that harbored and cherished his first love, he knew. But it was okay. All he wanted was for Marinette to be happy. And if she was happy, then he was happy.

Because he loved her. And that was the least he could do.


End file.
